Steam
by ga-mei
Summary: Korra joins a pro-bending team and meets a feisty firebender named Mako who soon becomes her rival. Masami/Makorra/Tahnorra


Description: Korra joins a pro-bending team and meets a feisty firebender named Mako who soon becomes her rival.  
Pairing: ? Every pairing. ALL THE PAIRINGS. Just kidding. Masami, eventual Makorra, maybe even some Tahnorra if you squint.

* * *

Korra couldn't believe it, she was actually in the pro-bending arena. Her mouth hung slightly agape as her fingers pulled the excess water from her hair, the matte brown locks lightening up as the water-weight was removed. There was a certain glow of the lights that seemed to light up the halls, illuminating the soft red carpets and the golden walls.

"Wow..." She murmured under her breath, her azure eyes scanning the area as she moved around. Korra was lost, no doubt; for some reason, lost had never been so magical. She rounded a corner, finding herself facing a golden door. Hesitant but excited, Korra extended a brown hand to turn the handle. She found herself in a large pro-bending box. Her attention was immediately drawn to two dark haired, fair skinned males fighting.

"I don't give a damn about your cousins, wedding. We've come all this way Shaozu, are you kidding me right now?" The green eyed male was hissing. The victim, an amber eyed male with a lazy posture, simply crossed his arms in agitation. His eyes seemed to seek escape as they flickered in every direction, apart from the green-eyed male in front of him.

"Ming, there isn't an option. As much as I would love to sta-"

"Are you lost little girl?" A sultry voice whispered into Korra's ear. She gave a small yelp, her arm raising in defense at the male before her. His hair was glossy and short, apart from a strip of long, glossy black bangs that hung in waves across the right side of his face. His eyes were a light blue, so light that they might as well been a frosty glass. A thornless rose twitched inbetween his middle and index finger as he waggled it around a little bit.

"Ah...no. I was just..." Korra felt her face flushing red, she wasn't good with alibi's and she was finding herself in dire need of one. "I was just looking for the-uh...bathroom?" Her eyes were wide with innocence and she gave a shaky smile, as if she wasn't convinced with her own lie.

"Right." The male didn't seem to buy her excuse, his tone coming out flat and amused. "Well you're welcome to linger around if you so wish, it's pretty clear that you're...fresh off the boat, so I'm sure it'd do some good for the little tribe girl to see how the real waterbenders fare." A tight lipped smile crossed his pasty features as his nimble fingers reached up to flick some hair from his eyes. "Not that you could possibly learn much from this rookie team. Maybe some of my prose will rub off on you." The tight lip stretched a little further into a cocky smile, and Korra found her fist clenching a little.

"Actually...I'm a firebender." The words were out of her mouth before she could weigh her options properly. As the male's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, she realized her choice had been correct, and a sly grin stretched onto her own face as she found herself winning the upper hand. "But assumptions are always nice." It's not like she'd ever see him again, right? Why not have a little fun...

"Well then, jokes on me." The male cooly replied. "The name's Tahno, Captain Waterbender for the White Fall's Wolfbats." His hand extended to her and she gripped it. His fingers were cold to the touch, almost icy; the difference in temperature contrasted heavily with her warm skin.

"Nice to meet you, Tahno." Korra replied, with-holding her own name. It was clear he had no idea who she was, and she had no intention of changing that. For the longest time, everyone knew she was the Avatar and they worshipped her for it; while Korra deeply appreciated all the gestures, this instance piqued her interest. What would it be like for her to be around someone who had no idea who she was?

"Do you have a name?"

"Why yes, yes I do."

Tahno's eyebrow arched at her, his lips pressing into a puzzled expression. This only lasted a moment and as his face took a blank expression Korra came to the conclusion that he didn't like to be read. "Are you going to share this name with me, little girl?"

"At some point, sure."

Korra grinned at the mild irritation flickering through Tahno's eyes, but he said nothing, simply extending a gracious hand to lead her to the plush couch near the edge of the box. The bickering duo in the corner were still at it, though Korra found herself lost in their argument as Tahno's conversation had distracted her.

"I can't bail on this! I'm telling you!" The male identified as Shaozu tried to explain in an exasperated tone, but the male Ming wouldn't have it. The two bickered on, attracting Korra's attention, until finally Shaozu made a dash for the door, his feet stomping on the ground in agitation. "No, I told you, I'm not available for the finals. Find someone else!" The door slammed as Shaozu left, and Korra's head involuntarily turned towards the match at hand as she felt Ming's head sweep over towards her.

"Shaozu's a no good quitter." Ming growled, taking a seat on the other side of Tahno. Korra's eyes watched the match at hand, pretending to focus on the details. The announcer raved on about the 'Fabulous Bending Brothers': Mako and Bolin. Korra winced a little as she saw Bolin, the earthbender, get mixed around with their waterbender. The two were thrown off of the end of the arena into the pool of water below.

"Shaozu is replaceable, everyone is." Tahno murmured, running a hand through his glossy hair. Korra kept her ears peeled for their conversation, watching as the firebender, Mako, exhibited some of his 'cool underfire' style. "Firebenders are everywhere." Tahno murmured, and for a moment Korra wasn't sure if she was supposed to hear that. "Isn't that right, sweetie?" She felt a small jab at her ribs, as Tahno gave a light elbow to her.

Korra gave a small grunt at her name, her wide eyes facing the two pro-bending players. "Uh...yeah, that's right Tahno." She spared a small nod of the head, afraid to display more. "In places you wouldn't even think to look." Korra flashed Ming a white smile, her eyes straying back to the firebending boy below as he knocked the last player off of the ring, sealing a win for the Fire Ferrets.

"Let me strike a deal with you." Tahno slurred in a velvety tone. "Why don't you practice with us, show us what you can do, and we'll let you play a match for us. Winning isn't an issue with us. We've got quite the winning streak and we have no intentions of losing that any time soon."

Korra's brows furrowed into a straight line. "Winning's not everything." She murmured in reply, staring out at the crowd. Here she was, a once in a life time chance just watching a pro-bending tournament, being offered a chance to actually play? Sweet spirits, does it get better than that?

"True. But it's the only thing that matters." Tahno replied in a knowing tone, smirking a little as he rose to his feet. "Why don't you show up at the gym tomorrow around noon, and we'll see what kind of punch you pack. Who knows, maybe we'll even learn your name." He twirled the rose in his hand a few more times before placing it on her lap, falling back to Ming's side as the duo exited the box.

Korra stared out at the arena. The seats had begun to clear as people scattered for refreshments in between the rounds, preparing for the last match of the night. She felt her eyes narrow slightly in concentration as she rose up to her feet as well, her fingers smoothing the velvet petals of the rose. Tahno's offer seemed appealing to her, but at the same time there was something about him that grated on her nerves. It was probably the condescending way that he talked to her, but he had no idea who he was dealing with.

And he was about to find out.


End file.
